Inside Time

Winter's day tea party by the fire

I'm not gonna lie folks, winter is getting to me big time these last few weeks. SO much time indoors, so many days that start off sunny and then by the time we bundle up to get outside it's grey and dreary and the kids are ready to go back in. I feel a little like I'm standing on the precipice of full-blown crazy here. Didn't I just wash those socks and pick up that library book from under foot? And seriously, how many times can we play Strawberry Shortcake's Housewarming Surprise Game or watch Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom?! I am continually trying to remind myself that spring is "just around the corner" and to find joy in the everyday details...so to that end, I am posting these pictures to remind me of the beauty that can be found in the simple things, within the walls of our small house.

Wendell sleeping his way through winter, and looking particularly dapper since our fun Saturday morning spent brushing and shaving the cat.

Bright eyes

A magnet from my grandparent's fridge that now lives on ours- me at Rowan's age

Reading time

Rowan's drawing of Wendell :)

Flower fairies Rowan and I made from a kit--nice reminders that spring is on it's way!

Mermaids we made at Rowan's birthday party

Fairy Work

Rowan had an important job on Monday: she had a fairy workshop to attend. Apparently the business of building fairy houses has evolved over the past few years, with handbooks and classes available to young builders everywhere. We were lucky enough to have our local library host an event with Liza Gardner Walsh, the author of the new book, The Fairy House Handbook.

The fairy program had been on Rowan's social calendar for a couple of weeks and she was very excited to get some tips on how to improve her fairy houses, insisting that she wear her fairy wings.

After learning about fairy home preferences from the author (they only like natural building materials and there is apparently a hot debate about whether seaglass falls into this category), she got to draw a blueprint for her next fairy house, decorate a bag for collecting building materials, and then the icing on the cake came when she got to package up some sparkly fairy dust to take home and sprinkle on her houses.

After the program was over, she said, "Thanks Mommy for taking me to the workshop! I am ready to go make my house now." So we went down to the beach and she made a well-camouflaged fairy abode, complete with a seaweed roof. It melts my heart how much she is in love with fairies right now- this has been the summer of building them wherever we go.